


Spring Cleaning

by themystwassmoke



Category: OMORI (Video Game)
Genre: Acts of Kindness, F/F, Fluff, Grief/Mourning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-27 04:54:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30117456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themystwassmoke/pseuds/themystwassmoke
Summary: Post true half-awake short oneshot about Aubrey learning Kim truly cares. Healing thru words and acts of love.
Relationships: Aubrey&Sunny, Aubrey/Kim (OMORI)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20





	Spring Cleaning

**Author's Note:**

> There are a few times throughout I use date notation like [3/10], that is referencing an image from the album on that day.

It was barely the crack of dawn, yet a persistent knock rapped on her front door. Then, a rock at her window. This was, unfortunately, certainly for her. She couldn’t ignore it.. Well, she certainly could, but should she? After much deliberation, feeling like hours in the span of a few seconds, Aubrey dragged herself out of her nest of blankets. A quick glance out and she spotted a comfortably familiar sweep of brown hair. 

She smiled, despite herself. She cracked open the window and called down, “Getting ready,” then rushed to make herself presentable. Hair brushed rapidly, clothes pulled on.. Mouthwash, a stick of gum. She stepped out through the front door and offered a smile, only to be nudged back inside. She was confused and didn’t push back, Kim easily pressing on until she was inside and able to push the door closed once more. 

“We’re not going out today,” Kim’s tone was soft but held something of a command in it. She was set firm on her goal. “And I’ve already told Angel to let everyone else know we’re occupied.” Her eyes left Aubrey’s to instead scan the room. The quick scan had her posture softening, a deepening sorrow easily visible in her eyes. “I thought it might be bad, but, Aubrey..” She trailed off, then quickened to elaborate, “Not that! It’s your fault or anything, no. Just. I had no idea.” 

Through all of this, Aubrey was shocked to silence and nearly frustrated beyond belief. It wasn’t easy for her to let anyone into her home, let alone Kim. “I, know,” Her words came out slowly with breaths between. A desperate attempt to keep the tears from piercing where they sat pinpricked on the corners of her eyes. “And-I-totally-get-it-if-you-think-i’m-really-gross.” Kim looked sad for a few moments, then stepped forward and wrapped the nearly-panicking bright-haired girl in a firm hug. It took much longer to let go than she initially intended. 

“Gross? No. Never.” Kim’s tone came out as firm but soft as their embrace. “This isn’t your fault. Things must’ve been hell the past few years. Tell you what,” She drew back and smiled a smile that could melt the hearts of even the cruellest most insidious people. “I’m going to stay here for a day or two. We’ll get things straightened out. Okay? If,” She faltered a moment, but shook her head, “If you really don’t want me to. Say so. But I’m dead set on making this happen.” The taller girl just let out a gentle sigh and felt warm tears finally break free and stream down her face. For just a few moments, she let herself cry. Then just as sudden as it started, she snapped to attention and nodded, “Okay. We’ll do it together.”

They started outside, then worked in and up. The big trash was bagged and tossed, then the smaller things. It was a slow, very slow process and despite Aubrey’s worries that Kim might give up on it, every time she looked back just in case.. There she was. During one of these glances back, Kim laughed kindly and held up a stray picture she’d found, “You’ve still got these? I thought you guys put them together in that album of Basil’s.” Red tinted Aubrey’s cheeks and she could just laugh nervously, “I ah. I asked Sunny to mail me the album, for a little bit. And got Basil to help me make copies. It really helps to have a reminder of what was, you know?” 

A nod and another smile. “I know all too well, Aubrey, you don’t have to convince me. How about we take a break?” Without waiting for an answer, Kim climbed up and into Aubrey’s room. Not wasting any time, she sat down on the bed and patted her side, prompting the uncharacteristically shy pink-haired gal to do the same. “Tell me about them. The nerds.” While she spoke, she unwrapped a lollipop and slipped it between her lips, though it did nothing to impede her words. Truly, a master of candy. Meanwhile, Aubrey just mulled over the request. The nerds, huh..?

Aubrey reached forward and grabbed her own copy of the album. With a tiny smile tugging at her lips, she flipped through the pages and pointed out some of her favorite memories. [3/10] “Kel and Hero. They were always up to something goofy, and Hero never hesitated to be that annoying big brother to Kel. Or any of us, really. Oh, and there’s all of us cuddling with those stuffed animals.” She chuckled, a gentle pink dust settling over her cheeks once more. “We were always so close together. Not a lot of friends were like that, I think.” 

[4/9] “I miss her,” Was all Aubrey could murmur before pulling herself together a bit more. She’d had tears threatening to fall again all day, but now they finally began to fall freely, with no effort made to stop them. “She always was so pretty. I admired her, and wanted her to teach me how to look like her! She’s why I ended up dying my hair pink,” Her voice cracked then trailed into silence. A quick glance to Kim, and she shared a similar forlorn expression. “I’m so sorry for your loss. I’d never really asked, but.. You know, we all had an idea.” She did know indeed. Curious as the hooligans might be, they never were curious enough to ask her. A good deal for both sides. 

[4/29] “Oh! I was so cute in these pictures. And I,” Her voice trailed once more. Her eyes traced over the captions slowly. “Oh, I had the weirdest feelings for him.” Kim arched a brow, “Had? Aubrey,” A quick lean forward, one of the smaller girl’s arms easily looping around to draw Aubrey in for a hug. “That’s not what we saw. Do you want to talk more about him? I’d like to know. He seems special to you.” 

A sigh. A melancholy smile. “I think it just started because he was always there. He hardly talked, but that didn’t matter to either of us, because I could talk more than enough for the both of us. Plus one, probably. And he listened. REALLY listened.” She paused, realizing that it might sound silly to acknowledge that he wouldn’t talk and think that she would know how he really felt. “I, think that makes sense. He was just always there. You know?” Kim nodded. “I do. You might not believe it, but you’re not so far off.” A brief sound of surprise, “Well, hit me. This should be something.” 

Kim smiled and leaned forward to nudge the gentlest of chaste kisses to Aubrey’s forehead. “Well, to start, when one of us in the group asks for help, you’re the first one there. And you’re the last to suggest ever trying to leave a problem for one of us in the dust. Compassionate, understanding. And you give it your all. I could go on and on.” She glanced at Aubrey’s rapidly warming cheeks, “But I think you get the idea. Now, keep telling me about him.” 

A long pause. She thought back to those days on the swing. Just more talking. “I felt like he would always be there. Like he would never leave. He just, seemed like that. I mean, he did one day,” Her expression darkened briefly before she began talking once more, “But until that he was the most stable thing in my life.” Kim could only nod. Despite the general melancholy behind Aubrey’s words, the way her face lit up in those moments of speaking about Sunny did not go unnoticed. 

“You must still really miss him, huh?” She could only sputter and deny for a few moments, shaking her head fervently, “No, nuh-uh. He’s moved and gone. I can’t still feel for him. It’s not right, right?” Kim just sighed and smiled, “I didn’t ask if you feel for him. I asked if you miss him. Geez,” This time she chuckled and scooted closer, “I think I understand why now, though. He seemed really nice. Besides the whole uh, knife thing. But we’re past that!” 

Aubrey hesitated a moment before launching into another series of thoughts. “After Mari died. He just disappeared. The year afterwards? He was still in school, but, it wasn’t much. I tried so hard to get him to open up to me the same way I could to him. I tried to date him, pass him every day, get attention by doing stupid shit to get hurt. Everything. None of it worked. It meant everything. HE meant everything.” She didn’t sound quite bitter, though there was a distinct sadness behind her words. “After that year, I think I just gave up on him. I noticed Basil getting rid of pictures. So I started picking on him. Then others did. Then suddenly, I fit in with you and the rest of the hooligans.” Kim was quiet, though nodded along with Aubrey’s rambling. “Definitely the best addition to our group,” The short girl murmured before being gently tapped on her head, “Hush hush.” 

“And then, a few weeks ago he just comes back. Out of nowhere. The things that did to me, Kim? I wasn’t ready to see him again. I thought I’d never see his face after that day. I thought Kel would want nothing to do with him. Maybe I hoped Kel wanted nothing to do with him, I don’t know.” 

“Aubrey,” Kim muttered, voice soft and sincerely worried, “You can stop if you need.” The pink-haired girl could only nod and lean forward into the tight embrace waiting for her. Her shoulders heaved, the tears which previously streamed continuously became a storm against Kim’s shoulder. And finally, Aubrey grieved. She cried, she yelled, she bumped her fists against Kim’s leg as a safe replacement for punching. 

And so it went, until she had cried all she could cry, yelled all she could yell. She was exhausted, and still Kim was there to hold her. “It must’ve been tough to lose that nerd, huh?” A silent nod. “We’ll have to get him to visit sometime. We can introduce him properly to the guys. That sound good?” Another silent nod. Kim smiled, and planted a second gentle kiss just atop her girlfriend’s head. “Sounds perfect to me, then. Let’s get some rest,  
We’ve cleaned a lot today, but there’s plenty more to do tomorrow.”


End file.
